Q&A for How to Become an Auto Dealer

In most states, if you're going to sell cars with the purpose of making a profit, you can't operate out of your own home. In some states you can sell cars privately from home if you don't sell more than 4 cars a year, though. It really depends on where you live. In general though, no. You cannot operate a dealership out of your home.

Technically, yes. Your office has to have a few specific characteristics though. First, the office has to be facing the street. Your building must also have large windows, a sign, and access to at least 2 dedicated parking spaces. In California, you're allowed to rent out a desk at a dealership and pay to use some of their parking spaces as well. This can be kind of a costly option though, and the dealership where you're renting the office will usually take a percentage of your profits.

In Ohio, you are required to have a dedicated office to sell cars. You must own or rent an office that has at least 180 square feet. It also has to have a desk, 3 chairs, and 1 filing cabinet. You're also required to have a working landline or a cellular phone that is registered in your business's name. You also need to rent or own at least 3500 square feet of parking, but it doesn't have to be a stereotypical lot. You also have to have a permanent business sign with letters that are at least 6 inches in length, but it doesn't need to be a permanent sign.

You'd arrange it with Audi. Your first step would be to get some information on what they expect of their licensees before you make a decision.

At least 4 different cars of different models.

You don't need any specific schooling. It would help to have some background in business, however.

You will sell 30 percent of your inventory that you have in stock in any given month. That assumes that you have the proper amount of money invested in each vehicle so you can retail it at a reasonable profit, and you have a good advertising plan in place. Once you figure out how much you need to make every month, divide that by 2000% profit per vehicle to get your volume required per month, and triple it to see the amount of stock required.

That cannot be answered, as it depends on too many unpredictable factors.

You don't need a degree to be a car dealer. You just need to be confident and have a driver's licence. If you do go to college, a business degree is always helpful.

Network with other car dealers in your locality or city and then jointly approach any finance company about it.

It depends where you are. In California, for example, you must have a retail location.

Advertise the cars in other countries. Make it clear on the website you operate that both exporting the car from your country and importing the car into the destination country is the buyer's responsibility. Sell the cars online or sell in person, however, make final exporting, shipping and importing and delivery the buyer's responsibility. Save yourself the hassle unless you are selling enough volume. For example, if you sell used cars regular cars not exotics in Texas, let the buyers import those cars into Mexico. Mexican citizens can cross the border to buy the car and simply drive it into Mexico. It isn’t your issue once it leaves the lot.